Hundreds cast their lines in the frozen Saguenay Fjord

About 1,500 will be set up on the Saguenay Fjord by the end of the weekend for this year's ice fishing season. (CBC)

Hundreds of people are bundling up and getting ready to cast their fishing lines in the Saguenay Fjord for the first time this winter.

People driving trucks and tractors have been at work since 8 a.m. Saturday to put together a fishing village on the vast frozen area, located about 470 kilometres northeast of Montreal.

Once completed, the village should count nearly 1,500 cabins.

The biggest change this year is that the City of Saguenay is involved in the management of the ice-fishing village.

Officials said they want to ensure ice-fishing enthusiasts are safe on the ice.

Several people made their way onto the fjord overnight Saturday, when ground fishing season officially opened. This allowed people to catch some of the bigger fish that swim deeper in the saltwater streams.

For six weeks each winter, several hundred people try to catch some of the 60 species of fish that can be found in the area.